Make Your Choice
by Beckon
Summary: Her tone was stiff and he could tell she wasn't happy with his decision; she wasn't happy in letting the Hawk King get his way but… she knew he was right.


**A/N: I bought another copy of Radiant Dawn awhile back and I've been addicted to it all over again. Almost at the Goddess battles again and personally, I always bring Rafiel with me. I guess the whole point of that was to try and explain the given situation in this story. **

"We don't have a lot of time right now. Make your choice."

She would've given anything to rip the Hawk's throat clean out of his bulging neck but decided against her rather bloody thought. As much as he had started to ride on her nerves as of lately, she couldn't risk losing her temper- especially in a fragile situation as this one. That wasn't to say that it was easy for her to lose her temper... it was just that he talked too much and had taken this moment to share those all too many words with her.

They could only take possibly eleven people with them into the tower, barely a fraction of the massive army they possessed now; it was almost an insult as to choose specifics in the few hand-picked warriors that could carry on the countered judgement against the Goddess Ashera herself. But those few fighters had already been decided and she was chosen to tag along on this crusade of theirs; as a matter of fact, all of the Laguz royalty had been chosen to go in for the final battle against the Goddess… that alone seemed to be the easiest choice given the situation.

But they were only allowed to bring one from the Heron clan.

The Hawk King insisted on bringing Prince Reyson with them; remarking that as long as Nealuchi kept an eye on Leanne, then she would be just fine without them. He was persistent with his choice and gave little room for argument- another trait that she so wished to end with a well-placed strike.

But she didn't want Rafiel to leave her side, not even if Volug was there to keep him out of danger. They didn't have time to waste but it wasn't an easy decision to make and she felt that she and the Hawk were going to have to battle each other out for an answer. While that battle itself seemed tempting, she couldn't allow for herself to be so easily side-tracked like that.

"It's okay, My Queen…"

The reserved, quiet voice was enough to cause her to break her eye contact off from the scarred King in front of her and swiftly shift it to the white-winged man at her side. His expression seemed almost… withheld as though it pained him just as much to make an answer for her.

"Rafiel…"

Again, it almost seemed difficult for him to bring his somewhat transparent eyes against her own and keep them there while he spoke. "I know I said I wouldn't leave your side but… I think I'm going to have to make an exception at this point. Reyson seems far more prepared for this task at hand; he's better equipped than I am."

Just because his younger brother could fly didn't mean anything. She didn't want to lose this battle but… if he was going to make his decision right here and now without her consent for such, that was his choice. His brother seemed to had furthered himself from his Heron roots and was more alike to the Hawk King than anything else… even if he appeared to be the better choice, she wouldn't admit it. Even if he would be safer out here than inside the tower, he would be away from her side for who knows how long- that was the part she didn't want to deal with.

He had been by her side for twenty years. She didn't want to risk a few hours of missing his attendance.

But Volug would keep him alive just the same as she would. He wasn't near even half her strength but he wouldn't dare to fail her in this task.

"Okay." She started with a brief nod; forcing herself to lower her sense of pride to accommodate the newly picked answer. "Prince Reyson will accompany us into the tower; Volug will keep an eye on you out here."

Her tone was stiff and he could tell she wasn't happy with his decision; she wasn't happy in letting the Hawk King get his way but… she knew he was right. Or she was at least going to give him this decision. He wasn't happy with it either, he didn't want to be separated from her, but it was for the best. They would only be separated for a few hours at most; they could manage. He gave a light nod in her return and tried not to let his emotions get the best of him as he turned his attention to greet the other two. "Keep yourself safe, brother."

"You too." Reyson nodded. "Make sure you're still here when we get back… Father hasn't gotten the chance to see you yet."

He felt a brief smile tug at the corners of his lips. "Do not worry, I'll see him when this is over."

"I suppose this is where we part then." Nailah started; feeling her voice practically stiffen in her throat. As much as she usually nurtured and showered her love for battle, she was almost more focused on it ending rather than begin at all. Her eye snapped back to the scarred man from before and she caught the slight upturn on the tip of his lips. "Come now, Hawk King, we have the others to meet with and we've already slowed them down enough." She barely made it a few steps gone before she felt him lightly grab at her wrist; pulling and drawing her attention back to him… making it even more difficult to leave him behind. His eyes were trying to keep focus on her own but she could see where he seemed almost desperate to make the departure continue so that their reunion later on would come sooner. "You're right… we forgot our farewells, didn't we?"

"Just something to keep you here a little while longer…" he whispered before he drew himself against her.

She could feel the soft brush of his warm lips against the curve of her bare shoulder; the light touch of flesh was brief and yet lingered to burn across her skin. It was just a tiny gesture they had held for years now. Sometimes, he would lightly kiss her in the mornings, just before he got up and sometimes again to greet her; it always followed a small departure, whether it was someone calling for her attention in another room or in another building. Just a tiny gesture…

Fingers mixed in with his white locks of hair as he slowly pulled away; lingering as they slowly drew themselves through the silk-like strands. She moved in to return with her own gesture and felt the curve of her lips play against his own. It was a half opened embrace that left them sharing a small breath of air; that left them in that brief standstill of holding fingertips and half-touching bodies. Normally, it was left like that, but she pulled him forward this time and closed her lips against his own; encasing that shared breath for this last time.

It ended just as softly as it had started and she felt herself pull away.

"You are my brightest light, My Queen…"

"Just be here when I get back, that's all I ask of you." She returned just before she turned away to finish her earlier steps; pushing her way past the silenced Hawk King and making her way towards the red-haired Lion that stood off in the close distance.

This battle would seem easy enough.

Go in, beat whatever obstacles get in their way into a bloodied mess, defeat this so-called Goddess and then… come back to him.

Easy enough.


End file.
